


Cubital Fossa

by Trixxster103



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU where Jasper has been a Crystal Gem for awhile, Dialogue only part, F/F, Fluff, Jasper Redemption (Steven Universe), Jasper is actually really good with kids, Life Changing Field Trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-28 00:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8423893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trixxster103/pseuds/Trixxster103
Summary: Jasper never meant to scare Pearl off of affectionately holding onto her. Quite the opposite actually. Unfortunately Jasper's never been very smooth when it comes to Pearl. Can a life changing field trip with Steven and Connie fix everything?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Steven Universe fic! Any and all review are appreciated! Inspired by this Tumblr post: http://airyairyquitecontrary.tumblr.com/post/150814292617/i-think-the-first-time-pearl-takes-hold-of
> 
> This Tumblr post was literally too amusing not to write about, but it sort of morphed and got out of hand and became this. It's certainly not the best thing I've ever written, but there's enough I like about it to let it see the light of day.

“Yo, Quartz Bro, I need to talk to you,” Jasper practically shouted, grabbing Steven where he was sitting and pulling him to eye level. Steven laughed at the nickname. He always did. It had taken Amethyst the longest to warm up to Jasper after she was healed and redeemed, but now Jasper considered her her little quartz sister (and partner in crime) and Steven of course, being a quartz himself, had then been dubbed little Quartz Bro by the giant Gem.

Jasper was about to walk off with Steven when she felt a punch to her leg. Well it felt more like a tiny tap, since it came from Connie and she was a human smaller than Steven. “You can’t just grab people and walk away. That’s rude! Steven and I were playing a game and you interrupted,” Connie shouted up at her, jabbing a finger accusingly in her direction. Jasper was still new to social graces and Connie found that being as blunt and brash as her tended to get through to her most quickly. Although Pearl, strangely, could get through to her just by being herself, no extra effort needed. It annoyed Connie although she made sure not to let it show or take it out on Pearl. After all, it wasn’t her fault Jasper seemed to like her more than the other Gems.

Jasper quirked a brow, looking decidedly put out. Then she laughed. “Shit, you’re good at social interactions, you come too.” With that, Jasper pulled Connie into her other arm and stomped away from the couch and out the door to the beach. Connie had started to protest but gave up with a sigh. When Jasper got fixated on something there was no point arguing with her. It was easier to just go along and get it over with. To amuse herself while Jasper carried them to places unknown she proceeded to make funny faces at Steven across the broad chest of Jasper and he responded in turn, the two of them trying not to crack right away. Jasper chuckled deeply, and Connie realized how strange it was to feel so safe, warm and at ease with a Gem that had once been their primary foe.

Finally when they were a good distance away from the house, Jasper sat down unceremoniously onto the ground, crossing her legs and placing Steven and Connie on separate knees. She was careful to watch her strength through all of it. After all, humans were fragile and soft.

“So what did you want to talk about,” Steven burst out, staring up at Jasper with his eyes doing that strange starry thing they did when he got very passionate and excited about something. Connie looked up at the Gem too, trying to gauge her reaction. Jasper was a good Gem, and could be a lot of fun, but could also get annoyed easily and that made her loud, brash and irritable. More than a few rocks had been smashed by her the first few weeks after she had been healed.

Jasper growled, worrying her lower lip, one hand stretched behind her awkwardly scratching the back of her head. Unable to meet Steven’s starry eyes the silence stretched on, punctuated only by the soothing sounds of the ocean.

“Well, what is it Jasper? Don’t tell me you interrupted me trouncing Steven at Polypoly for nothing?” Connie yelled, trying to channel as much annoyance into her voice as possible. In actuality she wasn’t really mad, Steven had been the one winning, but she hoped the confidence of her tone would convince Jasper otherwise. If she didn’t manage to rile Jasper up enough they could be there all day, as she tried to work up the nerve to talk about ‘mushy feeling stuff’, as she called it.

“It’s about Pearl alright!” Jasper shouted, then ran a hand over her face as it heated, angry at her own outburst.

Steven’s face grew long. “Is she getting obsessive about mom again? Or did you two have a fight? I know Pearl can sometimes seem overbearing, but it comes from a place of concern! She cares about you Jasper! Like when she tells Amethyst to clean her room better that’s just cause she’s worried Amethyst could get hurt in there, even if she doesn’t show it well. And when she nags you it’s –“

“It wasn’t her fault!” Jasper shouted, and Steven flinched away from her. Connie shot her a glare for him. Jasper screamed just a little into her hands. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Eventually Jasper placed a broad hand on Steven’s head – it nearly covered it completely – and tousled his hair lightly, silently asking for forgiveness. Connie’s arms were crossed, her face unreadable. Tentatively Jasper placed her hand on her back and tried to smile warmly. It came out as a lopsided grimace that sent Connie into a hard fit of laughter. When she was finished she leaned back, just a little, relaxing into Jasper’s touch. For a few long moments they sat silent and companionably. Finally Jasper spoke, voice rumbling deep and soft as she explained what happened.

 

_You remember that mission we went on a couple days ago? Just Pearl, Garnet and I, to bubble that snake monster? Well when we got back you guys were gone… somewhere. That’s not important though I guess. Anyways, we get back and Pearl and Garnet are singing my praises and being all nice and shit, apparently I did a good job. And then Pearl just grabs my arm as we’re stopped to tell me something and just kind of hangs onto to it. Like her tiny little hand is in the crook of my elbow and her other hand is wrapped around the other side too._

_Oh yeah, Pearl does that to Garnet too all the time. I think sometimes she likes to have someone bigger than her to hold to, to ground her and support her, even if she is her own gem. She’s really liberal with her affection like that!_

_I’ve noticed that too Steven, she tousles your hair a lot, pats me on the back, or gives these soft touches when we’re training to guide me and there’s a lot more hugs now too, actually come to think of it, she practically hangs off of Garnet sometimes. And even Amethyst, even when they’re fighting she’s pretty affectionate with her._

_If you want her to stop Jasper, you just have to tell her, I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable._

_That’s just it! I’m NOT. I just screwed it up is all._

_What did you say exactly?_

_All I did was ask her what she was doing. I was just surprised is all._

_And you did it with a growl and that grimace you always make._

_Okay. So I was a little growly, I mean, I know I don’t usually talk to her like that but it wasn’t a bad growl. Wasn’t supposed to be._

_Mmhm. And then what happened?_

_Pearl got embarrassed. She was so blue she was damn near iridescent! It was pretty cute. She started stuttering apologies and she looked absolutely mortified and pulled her hand away and scuttled off to her room quickly and now she avoids me and won’t even get near me and I don’t know how to talk to her about this gross mushy stuff, because…. because I liked it. I liked that she felt she could rely on me, I want her to feel safe around me and not be afraid of me. Actually, scratch that last part, I know she never has and never will be afraid of me. What I’m saying is if she wants to grab onto my arm because she wants to feel supported and safe, well I’d like to do that for her. It was nice to think we might’ve had something, especially after all the horrid things I said to her when we were still enemies._

_Well at least you apologized about those already. You did apologize right?_

_Course I did Quartz Bro! And wipe that smirk off your face, I just want to be a supportive Crystal Gem, reliable, steady and comforting, for her, and that’s totally normal and there’s nothing else going on._

_Or what?_

_I’ll tickle you to death. You know I will. The only reason I didn’t last time was because Garnet was there._

_Well you’ll have to face me! I’m his knight you know, and since I’ve been training with Pearl I’ve gotten way stronger than the last time._

_Yeah, you have Little Warrior. Guess I’m gonna have to start coming to your sparring sessions to show you how it’s done. I’ll leave the guns behind because you might seriously die just from the sight of them and I might have started to care about you, just a little bit and wouldn’t want that._

_Jasper, if you start flexing, I swear-_

_Too late! Welcome to the gun show, kiddos. Hmm, I need something to lift. Maybe a little quartz boy here and his little friend too._

_Aaah! Jasper stop, stop, haha, woo!_

_Never!_

            

By the time Connie and Steven caught their breath again – the lifting had quickly devolved into a tickle fight and then Steven tag – Jasper had turned to pacing and muttering, her earlier worries resurfacing and though she felt better having told Steven, she was no closer to a solution.

“I… got…. it…” Connie huffed between breaths, lying on the sand next to Steven. “Life changing field trip!”

“A what now?” Jasper said, beginning to throw rocks in the ocean. It felt good to throw something.

Connie sat up like a shot, excitement clear upon her face. “After the Sardonyx incident, Garnet, Steven and Greg went on a field trip and came back with a better understanding of themselves and each other and started working things out! Same thing when he, Pearl and Greg went to Empire city! And then there was Amethyst, Peridot and him at Funland and the boat ride with Greg and Lazuli!”

“Do you tell her everything, Quartz Bro?”

“More or less. Full disclosure and all that.”

“Okay, Little Warrior and where do you propose Pearl, Steven and I take this ‘life changing field trip’?” Jasper growled, as she started looking for even bigger rocks.

             

Jasper could not believe that Steven and Connie had not only talked her into a trip to Funland, but also Pearl. Mind it had taken a lot of talking, coercing, riling, and helping her find something large to break before Jasper had even allowed herself to consider it. Steven could be very persuasive though and that strange starry thing his eyes did was very convincing. Convincing Pearl had been fun to watch at least, although Jasper wasn’t sure she wanted to think about what Steven said to Garnet and Amethyst to make sure they were gone when Steven and Connie began begging to be taken to Funland.

Pearl had been cleaning as usual. Pearl liked to think she was subtle, but Jasper had seen train wrecks with more subtlety. Pearl practically beamed and lit up when Steven asked her, although she tempered down just enough to ask if Steven didn’t want to go just with him and Connie, since they were so grown up and all. Of course Jasper knew Pearl was just asking for Steven’s sake. She didn’t actually expect him to say no. It was going to be a hard day for all of them when he didn’t need them anymore. Connie had quickly pulled out a bit of flattery and explained that Mister Smiley had banned them because of the Zoltron Incident, unless of course they were accompanied by a responsible adult. And who was more responsible than Pearl? That had done it, easily painting Pearl’s cheeks blue and making her finally relent. The squawk she made when Steven suggested bringing Jasper along as well was something Jasper would laugh about for a long time.

In the end, Steven had won out and so there they were, the four of them heading out to Funland. Pearl, infuriatingly, did her best to stay as far away from Jasper as possible, refusing to initiate eye contact but also distinctly against breaking it first when Jasper forced it on her. It was like a little game. It was the only way Jasper had at least of trying to initiate some sort of interaction with Pearl, since she had put herself at the farthest edge of their little group, forcing Steven and Connie between them as a buffer. On the way she filled the silence when Steven and Connie could not, blocking Jasper’s attempts to speak to her. Normally Jasper found the way she could get lost in a topic she was passionate about endearing and, on occasion, enjoyed a verbal sparring match with her, but at that moment it was ingratiating.

Jasper was about to try and pull her into another round of maintaining eye contact – Pearl had only won the last one because she’d had to look away to avoid tripping over a broken board on the boardwalk – when they finally made it to Funland. Pulling her by the hands Steven started excitedly showing her all the rides and games that could be played and how to maximize her fun for her first time. Looking behind her she saw Connie pulling Pearl along and following them, talking about some sort of dart game that she thought Pearl would do well at.

It wasn’t until they had been led deep into Funland that Connie and Steven suddenly declared that they were going on the Ferris Wheel, just the two of them, together, with a lot of exaggerated winking and talking in over the top voices. Jasper just sighed and tried not to facepalm.

“You two have fun!” Pearl called out after them, waving as the two of them ran hand in hand to the Ferris Wheel.

When they were fully out of earshot Pearl turned to Jasper, worrying the bow of her tunic between her hands. Chuckling awkwardly she inched a little further from Jasper, trying to keep distance between them, but knowing she couldn’t get too far away. “Well, I hope you’re having fun here Jasper, I didn’t think you’d want to come to a place like this, but you know how Steven is.”

“You assume things too much, Pearl,” Jasper replied breezily, stepping towards Pearl to tower over her. The sudden confidence she felt was strange, but she was far and away from the Temple and all the baggage it held in the air. All there was here were too many soft and fragile humans, a pungent tang of salty snacks and sweat and the safety of the shadows between two rides. All at once Jasper had a distinct understanding of the reason that Rose had fallen in love with this place to begin with. There was no Homeworld baggage in the quiet small space between the roller coaster and the Ferris Wheel, just two gems who really needed to talk about and clarify their problems. Jasper chose her next words carefully. “Do you really know me as well enough as you think to be saying something like that?”

At first Pearl shot a toothy grimace and threw her head to the side, her pride wounded at the comment, her fingers splayed and tapping. But after a moment she looked cowed and lowered her gaze to the ground, defiance dripping out of her.

“Yes. I do. Assume too much, that is… Amethyst and I have fought about that on more than one occasion. Not that I think I know you that well. I mean not that I don’t want too, it’s just things get in the way and…. I am trying. I promise,” Pearl said.

“I believe you. You’re always trying. And you aren’t completely wrong. I wouldn’t really consider this land very ‘fun’, without Steven being here. There’s too many humans, too close. I have to watch every single move I make because otherwise someone could get hurt. I don’t think I’d be able to go on any of these human rides. And it’s obvious that these silly human games are rigged. But Connie and Steven thought a life changing field trip would be good for the both of us, so here I am.”

For a second Jasper didn’t understand what she was seeing. Pearl was shaking and she worried that something had gone horribly wrong. Then she realized that Pearl was laughing. “So that’s why they were talking like that about the Ferris Wheel and trying so hard to get me to come to Funland,” Pearl rasped between breaths.

A tear fell from the corner of her eye and she leaned forward, clutching her stomach as another round of laughter shook her, the realization too funny to ignore. Jasper felt herself cracking a smile while watching and soon she was laughing too, her deep voice echoing through the fair. Both of them looked up at the same time and the look on each other’s faces sent them right back into their laughing fit.   

Pearl sank down against the back wall of the roller coaster, faint vibrations coursing through it as the coaster sped by, as the last of the laughter left her body. Sinking down beside her, Jasper made sure their shoulders were touching, daring Pearl to pull away.

“You know,” Jasper started, “I think Steven just secretly likes the drama and that’s why he drags us on these life changing field trips. I mean he’s crazy about Crying Breakfast Friends and is pretty into that smaltzy kind of stuff.”

“You understand that show?”

“No. But Steven likes it. I mostly just take bets with Amethyst on which piece of food is gonna cry first each episode. It’s also pretty funny when the banana cries.” 

The two Gems lapsed into silence again after that, the only sounds the roar of the coaster behind them and screaming riders. Pearl squinted against the Sun, trying to see if she could spot Steven and Connie on the Ferris Wheel. Jasper was warm and relaxing against her shoulder and she gulped, keeping her eyes glued to the sky.

“Well, since Steven isn’t here to sing at us, I guess I’ll bring it up,” Jasper said, face falling as Pearl flinched away from her to leave a few inches of space between their bodies.

“I know. I shouldn’t have assumed anything. It’s just a force of habit, to reach out and take Garnet’s arm and so I guess it just sort of happened with you too, I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time. But if it makes you uncomfortable, it won’t happen again,” Pearl said, talking low and fast with her hands. She knew she was stammering, but she wanted this awkwardness to end. Wanted to go back to the friendship they’d been carefully growing. It felt awful having to watch her hands constantly, and Pearl realized that that must be how Jasper felt every moment when she was first learning how to not hurt Steven in their daily interactions. Pearl was an affectionate Gem and she liked the support and stability of those bigger than her. But it was assuming, again, on her part, that Jasper wanted to be that sort of stability. If Jasper didn’t want to be a rock for her or didn’t feel like she’d earned the right to touch her like that then she was determined to respect that.

Jasper growled, frustration stoking in her belly. She’d tried it Steven’s way, but Pearl was still rambling, and not getting them anywhere. So instead Jasper decided to do it her way.

“By the fucking stars of Homeworld, Pearl,” Jasper growled, standing quickly and pulling Pearl by the sash of her tunic with her.

“Language,” Pearl admonished, finally breaking her rambling.

“So that’s what it takes to get a word in edgewise.”

“Put me down, Jasper, this is embarrassing.”

“I haven’t laughed at your flailing. Calm down. I’ll put you down when I’m done talking.”

Pearl stopped waving her arms and legs at the comment, face burning blue. Even though she reminded herself that it didn’t matter, none of these humans even knew who she was, and even if they did she didn’t give one iota of care about their opinion, it still felt wrong somehow to be dangling powerless from Jasper’s grip. Of course she knew she could easily summon her spear and cut herself down, twist out of her grip or use any other matter of interesting ways to escape, but she also didn’t feel unsafe in Jasper’s hands. Instead of doing anything she opted to just do as Jasper wanted and listen. Pearl lifted her head awkwardly to meet Jasper’s eyes, hoping this would be a short speech given her uncomfortable positioning.

“You’re assuming again. I get why you did though. We’re not exactly the best of friends right now, huh? And it probably was very embarrassing, so I do understand why you’ve been avoiding me. But I want that to change. I… liked when you grabbed my elbow. I liked feeling like I was supporting you, like I was a rock to you. I was just confused at first. Gems don’t… do that on Homeworld. They don’t touch like that, just for the sake of touching. And never loaded with kindness or anything other than an ulterior motive. I was too quick to panic when you grabbed me. But I’m trying. So if you want to-”

Slowly Jasper lowered Pearl to the ground, “hang onto to me,” both of them with small tentative smiles on their faces, something new budding and blossoming, they’d just have to care for it. “then I don’t mind.” Pearl felt her toes meet the ground and she straightened to meet Jasper’s gaze, the smirk on her face wide and proud. The two held the starring contest for a while. Ultimately, it was Pearl who broke first, laughing the tension away.

“Some field trip. I can’t even fit on any of the rides. I think Steven just wanted an excuse to take Connie onto the Ferris Wheel alone.”

“I don’t like eating and even if I did I wouldn’t like anything here!”

“What are we doing here?”

Jasper was about to point out something else that was human and therefore strange and pointless for them, when she felt Pearl wrap her hands stiffly around her arm and press herself behind her.

“Huh.”

The grimace on Pearl’s face told her everything she needed to know. Following her line of sight revealed a strange, sweaty, red faced, suited man, and Jasper concluded that she didn’t like him, whoever he was. The man noticed the two of them and started walking over, raising his hand in greeting. Behind him, a younger version of him followed tensely, seemingly as uncomfortable with the situation as Pearl was.

“Who’s that?”

Pearl rubbed the bridge of her nose and let out a long, reedy sigh. “That’s Mayor Dewey. The humans here have elected him as the leader of Beach City and look to him for guidance. I find him a tiresome and strange man though. He obviously holds romantic feelings for me, but can’t or won’t take a hint.”

“Want me to throw him in the ocean for you?”

Pearl honestly considered it for a minute. “No, we can’t. It’s not right to just throw humans in the ocean, even ones we don’t like. It would demoralize the people of the town too, seeing him humiliated, and they need a leader. He does it enough on his own anyways. And his son, Buck, is tolerable and a good male role model for Steven, so we wouldn’t want to ruin that.”

“Well offer still stands if you change your mind. I’ll even take the blame and Garnet won’t ever know that you even considered it,” Jasper said, with a playful wink.

“Of course not, I would never even consider something so petty.” Pearl huffed with a wink of her own, daring to giggle behind her hand.

By that time Mayor Dewey had closed the distance between them, a glazed look on his eyes and mouth curled into a smile that belied interest. The closer he got the more Jasper didn’t like him.

“Hello, Steven’s sisters!” Mayor Dewey said loudly, purposely drawing as much attention as he could. “Are you here for my safety commemoration of the teacups? It’s been an entire year without any… untoward incidents happening because of them!”

“No.” Pearl deadpanned, coming around to face Mayor Dewey, but not letting go of Jasper’s arm.

The mayor finally seemed to notice Jasper at that point and he took a long look up and down, appraising the giant gem before him.

“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met before, are you a cousin of Steven’s in town for a visit?” Mayor Dewey asked hopefully.

The tired expression of a frustrated teen who’s parent’s just don’t get it split Buck’s face and he said, “Dad, I’ve told you before, they’re not related. Steven doesn’t have a nuclear family that you can easily put in a box or explain away. That’s just how it is. You need to stop being so uptight about it.”

“Well, if they’re not his sisters, then what are they?”

“I am a conscious manifestation of light that saved your planet and species. And helped raise Steven.”

“And I used to eat goobers like you for breakfast. Before I was a Crystal Gem, I was terrorizing your ancestors and trying to destroy your planet.”

“So like a cool rebel alien, and all that,” Buck supplied.

“Nah, Pearl here’s the cool rebel, she literally went against an insane regime that tried to kill everything. And she can take out Gems bigger than me! I haven’t actually beaten her in a fight yet, but I’m working on it. We used to be on opposing sides, but I realized I was the one who was wrong and that the authority I followed had some pretty twisted ideas of how gems should behave. I realized that what I was, was not the kind of gem I really wanted to be. The point is it doesn’t matter what we are today, because we’re going to get even better tomorrow!”

Suddenly Steven and Connie appeared on Jasper’s other side, grinning like bandits, having clearly heard everything. Their hands were sticky with ice cream and a piece of cotton candy was stuck in Steven’s hair. Clearly they had not at all been in a hurry to get back to ‘the life changing field trip’ that they themselves had suggested. Steven looked between Jasper and Pearl, literally bouncing with excitement upon noticing Pearl’s hand in the crook of Jasper’s elbow. With a wink – that Jasper responded to with an embarrassed glare – he practically latched himself onto Jasper’s side, looking up at a confused and annoyed Mayor Dewey.

“Jasper and Pearl love Steven and he loves both of them. That’s the only definition that matters anyways,” Connie explained, slinking behind Jasper to take Pearl’s free hand.

Jasper laughed loudly, twisting to give Connie a quick tickle and pluck her from the ground. “Little Warrior here gets it! We’re the Crystal Gems! And we love Steven!”

With her other hand Jasper grabbed Steven and put one of them on each shoulder, their laughter bright against the cacophony of the fair. Jasper’s entire hand could wrap around both of Steven and Connie’s legs comfortably and she did so, more for her peace of mind for their safety than anything else. Connie feigned indifference, but Jasper knew she loved being up high. Steven didn’t care about who heard him and so he threw his arms out, whooping and laughing.

It wasn’t until Steven lightly elbowed her head – she hadn’t been redeemed that long in the grand scheme of things and affection with Steven and Connie was still new, but even she couldn’t miss the raw concern he’d managed to lace into the gesture – that Jasper even noticed that she’d accidentally knocked Pearl away when she’d grabbed Connie. And right into Mayor Dewey’s arms. The same Mayor Dewey that Pearl had just finished telling her made her uncomfortable. Jasper wondered if it was possible to go back in time and punch herself for being so colossally stupid.

Pearl’s annoyance was clear – especially with the way she fidgeted, erratically rubbing the sash of her tunic between two fingers. Mayor Dewey, who had caught her when Jasper accidentally knocked her off balance had one hand still lightly perched on her shoulder. He was speaking to her about something, Buck trying to use the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. Mayor Dewey laughed, face somehow redder and sweatier, while Pearl just stood there, one eyebrow raised at his attempt at humor. Pearl peeled his hand off her shoulder, each move very deliberate and precise, and he grimaced, but didn’t give up his terrible attempts at flirting. Jasper decided that she was definitely going to throw him in the ocean the next time Garnet wasn’t looking.

Secretly Jasper hoped for some sort of world ending catastrophe which would allow her to grab Pearl and make their quick escape, thereby saving her from the annoying man currently flirting with her. When one wasn’t forthcoming within ten seconds and the awkward tension had risen several degrees as Pearl continued to try and end the conversation with Mayor Dewey in a way that didn’t involve her spear Jasper decided to make one up.

Making sure Connie was balanced on her shoulder, Jasper released her grip and grabbed Pearl around the waist with one hand, plopping her right in the middle of the two kids, legs on either side of her neck. Panicking briefly she crossed her legs tightly at the ankles, fingers digging painfully into Jasper’s scalp until Connie and Steven scooted closer in greeting, snuggling into her sides. When Pearl relaxed a second later Jasper looked down at a confused Mayor Dewey, arms crossed in front of her and a smirked plastered to her face. Don’t need fusion to become a giant woman Jasper reminded herself, now that she and Pearl had a combined height of more than ten feet. 

“Bye.”

And with that Jasper walked off and only looked back once to see the man open mouthed and frazzled and his son quietly laughing.

“Life changing field trip SUCCESS!” Steven shouted, reaching in front of Pearl to high five Connie.

Pearl pursed her lips. She wanted to be annoyed about all of this, she really did, but the view from Jasper’s shoulders was kind of nice and her two favorite humans were each pressed against one side, arms wrapped around her and holding her close. With one hand she absentmindedly played with Jasper’s hair as she walked aimlessly, destination unknown. From her high vantage point one of the rides caught her eye and she smiled.

“Not quite a success just yet.”

“What?”

“The newest member of the Crystal Gems hasn’t ridden the teacups yet.”

“I don’t know Pearl,” Connie started, “Mayor Dewey just said they’ve gone a year without incident and we seem to attract incidents to us. And they’re pretty high up.”

“Please?” Steven begged, “I’ll keep us safe! You can hold my hand Connie and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

“Well what do you say Jasper?” Pearl asked, as Jasper craned her neck to look into Pearl’s smiling face.

Of course she was going to say yes. Pearl never suggested things. Of course it was probable that she only wanted to go on the teacups as some response to how the Mayor had acted, but the ride itself didn’t seem too bad and if there was the chance that Connie might need to hold Steven’s hands, then Pearl might want to hold onto her, which Jasper thought was fantastic.

“Let’s do it!” Jasper shouted, flexing her arms and breaking into a run towards the teacups.


End file.
